The Louisiana State Legislature (; ) is the state legislature of the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

. It is a

bicameral Bicameralism is a type of legislature that is divided into two separate Deliberative assembly, assemblies, chambers, or houses, known as a bicameral legislature. Bicameralism is distinguished from unicameralism, in which all members deliberate ...

body, comprising the

lower house A lower house is the lower chamber of a bicameral legislature, where the other chamber is the upper house. Although styled as "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide, the lower house has come to wield more power or otherwise e ...

, the

Louisiana House of Representatives The Louisiana House of Representatives (; ) is the lower house in the Louisiana State Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. This chamber is composed of 105 representatives, each of whom represents approximately 4 ...

with 105 representatives, and the

upper house An upper house is one of two Legislative chamber, chambers of a bicameralism, bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the lower house. The house formally designated as the upper house is usually smaller and often has more restricted p ...

, the

Louisiana State Senate The Louisiana State Senate (; ) is the upper house of Louisiana’s legislature. Senators serve four-year terms and participate in various committees. Composition The Louisiana State Senate has 39 members elected from single-member districts ...

with 39 senators. Members of each house are elected from

single-member district A single-member district or constituency is an electoral district represented by a single officeholder. It contrasts with a multi-member district, which is represented by multiple officeholders. In some countries, such as Australia and India ...

s of roughly equal populations. The Louisiana State Legislature meets in the Louisiana State Capitol in

Baton Rouge Baton Rouge ( ; , ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It had a population of 227,470 at the 2020 United States census, making it List of municipalities in Louisiana, Louisiana's second-m ...

. In March 2023, Republicans gained a supermajority of the Louisiana legislature for a first in the history of Louisiana.

Early history

Jean Noel Destréhan and Allan Bowie Magruder were selected by the joint legislature to be Louisiana's first United States Senators on September 3, 1812. Destréhan resigned within a month and was replaced with Thomas Posey.

Terms

Members of both houses of the legislature serve a four-year term, with a

term limit A term limit is a legal restriction on the number of terms a person may serve in a particular elected office. When term limits are found in presidential and semi-presidential systems they act as a method of curbing the potential for monopoly, w ...

of three terms (twelve years). Term limits were passed by state voters in a constitutional referendum in 1995 and were subsequently added as Article III, §4, of the

Louisiana Constitution The Louisiana Constitution is legally named the Constitution of the State of Louisiana and commonly called the Louisiana Constitution of 1974, and the Constitution of 1974. The constitution is the cornerstone of the law of Louisiana ensuring the ...

. In 2007, some legislators had served their maximum terms and could not run again, being "termed out of office". The term limits are consecutive rather than lifetime.

Officers

The officers of each house of the legislature are elected at the beginning of each term to serve for four-year terms. The

elects from among its members a speaker and speaker ''

pro tempore ''Pro tempore'' (), abbreviated ''pro tem'' or ''p.t.'', is a Latin phrase which best translates to 'for the time being' in English. This phrase is often used to describe a person who acts as a '' locum tenens'' ('placeholder'). The phrase is ...

.'' Although the procedure is not mandated constitutionally, the speaker of the house is traditionally recommended by the

governor of Louisiana The governor of Louisiana (; ) is the chief executive of the U.S. state government of Louisiana. The governor also serves as the commander in chief of the Louisiana National Guard. Republican Jeff Landry has held the office since January 8, ...

to the body. The current speaker, Phillip DeVillier, a Republican, presides over the House. The house also elects its chief clerical officer, the clerk of the house, who is not an elected member. The

Louisiana Senate The Louisiana State Senate (; ) is the upper house of Louisiana’s legislature. Senators serve four-year terms and participate in various committees. Composition The Louisiana State Senate has 39 members elected from single-member districts ...

elects its presiding officer, the

president of the Senate President of the Senate is a title often given to the presiding officer of a senate. It corresponds to the Speaker (politics), speaker in some other assemblies. The senate president often ranks high in a jurisdiction's Order of succession, succes ...

, from among its membership; the position is also traditionally recommended by the governor. The current president is

Cameron Henry John Cameron Henry Jr. is an American politician serving as a member of the Louisiana State Senate from the 9th district. He assumed office on January 13, 2020. He previously represented the 82nd district of the Louisiana House of Representatives ...

. Each house provides for the election of its officers. From 1853 until the adoption of the

Louisiana constitution The Louisiana Constitution is legally named the Constitution of the State of Louisiana and commonly called the Louisiana Constitution of 1974, and the Constitution of 1974. The constitution is the cornerstone of the law of Louisiana ensuring the ...

of 1974, the

lieutenant governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

was designated to preside over the Louisiana Senate. In the 21st century, the lieutenant governor exercises powers delegated to him by the governor as provided by law. He also serves as governor in the event of a vacancy in the office, if the governor is unable to act as governor, or is out of the state. Since the lieutenant governor no longer serves as president of the Senate, he has been made an ex-officio member of each committee, board and commission on which the governor serves. (Louisiana Constitution Article IV, Section 6) Additionally, the lieutenant governor serves as head of the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation & Tourism.

Sessions and quorum

The legislature is required to convene in the state capitol in Baton Rouge for regular annual sessions. In even-numbered years, a general session convenes at noon on the second Monday in March to extend for no longer than 60 legislative days during a period of 85 days. In odd-numbered years, a limited jurisdiction session convenes at noon on the second Monday in April for no longer than 45 legislative days during a period of 60 days. The legislature also may convene for extraordinary sessions and for veto sessions. The legislature is required to meet in an organizational session, which cannot exceed three days, on the date its members take office. A special session may be called by the governor or may be convened by the presiding officers of both houses upon a written petition of a majority of the elected members of each house. A special session is limited to the number of days stated in the proclamation, not to exceed 30 days. The power to legislate in a special session is limited to the objects specifically enumerated in the proclamation. In order to constitute a

quorum A quorum is the minimum number of members of a group necessary to constitute the group at a meeting. In a deliberative assembly (a body that uses parliamentary procedure, such as a legislature), a quorum is necessary to conduct the business of ...

, both houses require a majority of members present; 53 members of the House of Representatives and 20 members of the Senate. A smaller number may adjourn from day to day and may compel the attendance of absent members. Each house is required to also keep a journal of its proceedings and have it published immediately after the close of each session.

Political immunity

Members of both houses of the Louisiana State Legislature are free from arrest, except for felony, during their attendance at sessions and committee meetings of their house and while going to and from them. No member shall be questioned elsewhere for any speech in either house.

Veto powers

The governor of Louisiana carries the power of the

line-item veto The line-item veto, also called the partial veto, is a special form of veto power that authorizes a chief executive to reject particular provisions of a bill enacted by a legislature without vetoing the entire bill. Many countries have differen ...

. However, the legislature has the constitutional power to override a gubernatorial veto by a vote of two-thirds from each house.

Notes

External links

Louisiana State LegislatureLouisiana House of RepresentativesLouisiana State Senate
{{Authority control Bicameral legislatures